Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge certain calls made by the official, following the protocol already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
